Feeling overwhelmed with the issues in our world today? Here are 20 ways you can help make a positive change!

1. Keep informed. Follow organizations like Amnesty International and World Vision who are on the front lines of the our battle. Even a like on Facebook or an email subscription is sufficient. The first step to change is awareness.

2. Pray. Prayer is one the most powerful weapons we can use to make a change in the world. When one person or an army of passionate people lift up an issue in prayer, I believe God is listening, and I believe he will intervene.

3. Smile. “Sometimes just a smile on your face can help to make this world a better place.” Robert Alan Silverstein.

4. Donate your clothes to a Salvation Army or a clothing bin. The clothes you don’t wear anymore will be put to good use for those who need it.

5. Keep aware. Watch documentaries and the news, read articles and books and listen to what people have to say about the issues we are facing today. My favorite journalism outlet by far is Vice.

6. Spread the word. Tell your friends about the issues on your heart. By doing this, you spread the word about the problems that need attention. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

7. Reduce your carbon footprint on this earth. Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth, switch off the lights when they’re not in use, walk more, carpool when you can and eat more fruit and veggies than meat & processed food. Climate change is one of the biggest crisis of our time, so be informed and do your part to make your life a one of sustainability.

8. Remember your opinions matter. Raise your voice about injustices – any injustices. With so much online outlets where you can do so, don’t keep silent about things that need fighting for. People with influence will hear. This is how movements start, protest starts, change starts.

9. Give food to the homeless in your city. Even if it’s leftover food from dinner, I know most of them will appreciate it so much.

10. Give what you can. I know that it can seem like a handful of dollars is not enough to make a change. We may think that only a significant amount of money can only do so. But the thing is, every cent you give is significant. God sees your heart. When you give what you can, even if it’s not much, I believe that moves God.

11. Be kind. Like they say, sprinkle that like confetti. It’s honestly as simple as giving hugs, asking someone how their day was or over tipping. Leo Buscaglia once said, “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”

12. Volunteer. From something like helping out at church to volunteering for an organization. One of the most precious things you can give is simply your time.

13. Create something. A photograph, a dance, a blog, a business – anything that will express your passions. By creating something beautiful, you are already making the world a better place.

14. Sign petitions. There are numerous petitions for amazing causes out there that simply require you to type in your name and hit submit. Some of these petitions even make their way into the government. It is an effective way for your voice to be heard.

15. Remember that change starts where you are. When I was younger, I was over zealous about social justice. One time, when I was rambling on to my mother about changing the world, she said to me something along the lines of: “If you can’t change your home, how can you change the world?” And I’ll never forget that. Love where you are. Love who you’re with. When you do that well, it can change the world.

“Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do… but how much love we put in that action.”Mother Teresa